Showing posts with label portable fish finders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label portable fish finders. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Finding The Perfect GPS Fish Finder

The GPS fish finder is an amazing piece of technology that can enhance the experiences of sportsmen who love the water. A marine GPS combo system can function as both a portable fish finder and a chart plotter. You can sit back and relax knowing that you are safe and that there are fish in the area. In this article, we'll look at how science has combined GPS with fish finder sonar technology to lend a hand to avid anglers.

The top of the line GPS fish finder combos are absolutely loaded with dozens of options to help you on your fishing expeditions. These first class fish finders can have sensors for GPS speed, water temperature, barometric pressure sensors, wireless sonar links and Gimbal mounts. Many units can be set up for either freshwater or salt water environments to ensure the best performance possible.

However, with so many options to choose from, how do you know what to buy and how much to spend? Before you begin to shop around, make a list of all the features that you require. Do you need a large screen? Perhaps you need an Ethernet connection. Or, will a less expensive unit with basic features satisfy your needs. Once you know exactly what you want, you'll be better prepared to compare devices and prices.

The Humminbird 383c GPS Fish Finder combo has a built-in nautical mile resolution UniMap of USA inland lakes, rivers and coastal areas. In addition, it includes many key features, such as an internal, 16 channel WAAS GPS receiver with omni-directional antenna for higher performance. This model gives accurate water temperature readings and can be designed for both fresh and saltwater environments.

One excellent feature is the ability to freeze frame immediately. This allows the user more time to examine the details on a chart. This model is also a good size for small boats and can be easily mounted. This model possesses the DualBeam PLUS sonar, which delivers wider, depth finder coverage of the bottom. It also makes the job of finding fish much easier with the built in adjustable zoom levels for display.

The Eagle FishElite 500c GPS Fish Finder is another popular choice. It has a high quality ultra bright and 256 color LCD screen. It also possesses a full size combo 200 kHz sonar and mapping GPS and WAAS, with 256-color, sunlight-viewable 320Vx240H pixel display. This high definition is great for minimizing glare and is a big bonus to those who may have bad eyesight.

Most importantly to anglers, this model can reveal fish hidden in underwater color. It also comes with an optional sensor and adjustable ping speed with automatic HyperScroll to show fish targets at higher boat speeds. This Eagle model is good, durable and easy to use. Its internal memory helps to store GPS data and sonar settings.

There are many choices of different GPS fish finders and other electronic navigation devices. The benefits of a GPS fish finder are twofold; it helps to find fish and assists in charting your journey. The fish finding function is more sophisticated than standard portable fish finders and the GPS feature is a must for any boater. A marine GPS is surprisingly easy to install and operate.

However, installation must be done carefully to ensure that the unit will work as it should. All you need to do is to read the manual and understand the signals that are shown on the GPS device. The interfaces are very user-friendly and most manufacturers provide extensive technical support.

Once you do your homework about the different devices available to you, you should be able to find the perfect system that will guarantee a great fishing expedition every time you head out on the water.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Choosing A Portable Fish Finder

Every fisher has been there; going from spot to spot looking for a bite only to go home empty handed. It's a frustrating feeling to say the least. However, technology has become every fisherman's best friend. A portable fish finder can help you find your next catch by being your eyes UNDER your boat. In this article, we'll explain how this handy piece of fishing gear works and how to choose one suited to your needs and budget.

Portable fish finders are an incredible piece of equipment that can actually help you find fish if used properly. Before the invention of this piece of technology, fishers used a depth finder that only indicated the depth underneath the boat. There was no precise screen showing the presence of schools of fish. Consequently, depth finders were of little use to commercial fisherman. Next there were the sounders with printed graphs rolls that were very accurate if used properly. However, the real breakthrough was the advent of the LCD (liquid crystal display) sounder that showed both bottom contours and fish. Today there is a wide variety of these LCD fish finders.

Picking the right portable fish finder can be difficult because the market pricing is very competitive and products are being updated all the time. Top of the line models can cost more than the average dinghy, yet basic units can be quite affordable and cost as little as $300 from a discount fish finder store. The technology has come a long way since electronic fish finders first appeared on the market. Modern finders are slimmer, lighter and more menu-driven than their predecessors. The display units have both black and white or color display screens and the screens come in a variety of sizes. The bigger screens are better suited to larger fishing boats where they can be kept out of the sun and weather. These are ideal for commercial fishing trawlers.

A portable fish finder is dependant on its transducer housing. This housing contains a man-made crystal called a piezoelectric device. When it receives a signal from the unit it converts it into a mechanical sound wave that is sent down to the bottom below the boat. When this wave encounters an object it rebounds - creating an echo. This echo is bounced from the bottom and back to the transducer, where it's decoded and sent to the display unit as incoming signals. These sound waves not only bounce from the bottom but from any object encountered between the transducer and the bottom. This includes fish, schools of bait, weeds and underwater structures. This sounding process is continuous, even when the boat is moving. As the moving sound wave travels forward, the signals of everything it encounters are sent back as amazingly clear pictures.

Proper installation and maintenance are key to keeping your portable fish finder in working order. It should be in a convenient place that is out of direct sunlight and rain. A fish locator will be waterproof but prolonged exposure to sun and water will shrink and decay the neoprene casing. You should also make sure that the monitor is well placed. The pixels that make up the image can appear blurry if the angle isn't correct. If you don't have good vision, then you might want to spend a little more on a screen with a higher resolution. By doing your homework and making good choices when shopping, you'll definitely notice a marked volume in your catches.